


this deadly affinity

by unholyconfessions (orphan_account)



Series: a light to help you sleep at night [1]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hurt!Eddie, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post 1.08 - Flash vs. Arrow, Pre-Slash, Secret Identity, Tumblr Prompt, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-28
Updated: 2015-01-28
Packaged: 2018-03-09 11:27:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3247952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/unholyconfessions
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Barry might have a crush, Eddie is hurt, and being trapped under an entire building isn't helping the situation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	this deadly affinity

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: post-1.08, trapped in a room, possible identity reveal and kissing. [[here](http://nctaliaromanova.tumblr.com/post/109400727391/pretty-pls-write-a-thallen-drabble-where-the-flash)]
> 
> Slowly, but surely, I am getting through these Barry/Eddie prompts. I'm trying to go through them in order, and I've managed so far, but we'll see what strikes my fancy. This one was requested by an anon, so I'm not sure this is what they asked for, but it's what my little brain came up with.
> 
> I realize this has already been filled, but I wanted to post my contribution nonetheless. This was supposed to be a drabble, but I've failed. I'm not even sorry. 
> 
> This is unbetaed, apologies, and feedback is my speedforce.
> 
> Enjoy! :-)

“Guys,” Barry speaks into his earpiece as he picks himself up from the ground, staring down the barrel of Eddie’s gun, “I think we have a problem.”

Eddie adjusts his grip on the weapon, taking a step in Barry’s—the Flash’s—direction, and Barry raises his arms in surrender, winces as the skin stretches around the cut running across his side. 

Caitlin’s voice trembles as she speaks to him, “Barry, what was that? Are you hurt?”

Barry nods even though she can’t see, distances himself from Eddie when it becomes clear that Eddie’s still not past the… incident. Barry doesn’t blame him; he would’ve probably already shot the Flash in the knee and arrested him if he were in Eddie’s place.

“The building collapsed around us,” he explains, wrapping an arm around his middle. Blood stains his glove-clad fingers, warm and viscous even through the leather, and Eddie’s eyes follow the movement as Barry tightens his grip on himself to try and stop the hemorrhage. “I’m fine. It was just a scratch,” Barry lies, “but Detective Thawne might need a paramedic.”

Eddie frowns at him, his gun wavering for a second, and casts his eyes to the floor. His feet move, sliding over the concrete, smearing his own blood onto it. Barry chooses this moment to take a step closer to him, but Eddie’s head snaps up before he can, firing a shot at the debris behind Barry’s head.

The concrete rumbles.

Caitlin’s voice immediately sounds over his earpiece, “Is that a gunshot? Your vitals are going crazy.”

“Yeah, that was. But he didn’t shoot me,” Barry offers, and his disguised voice oscillates. He sucks in a sharp breath when the pain becomes too much, watches as Eddie narrows his eyes at him, a hint of realization dancing in them, but not quite. “I’m okay.”

Eddie’s gulp is audible from where Barry stands as he speaks, nodding in Barry’s direction, “You’re talking to someone; who is it?”

Barry shakes his head. “I’m sorry, detective,” he says, “but I can’t tell you that.”

For a second, there’s only the rustle of dust settling to the ground, followed by a blood drop that echoes in Barry’s ears and Eddie’s gun falling to the ground. Barry is at Eddie’s side before he can hit the concrete, takes his own bloodied hand to the wound in Eddie’s stomach and presses tight against it as he lays Eddie down.

Eddie’s eyes snap to the gun lying on the floor and back to Barry’s face. Barry barely has time to blur it out before Eddie tries to struggle away from him, arms pushing at his chest. Barry ignores the pain that shoots through him as Eddie elbows him in the ribs, his fingers digging further into Eddie’s skin.

“I’m not trying to hurt you,” he says, but Eddie doesn’t stop. Barry exhales as his muscles start to feel the strain of trying to keep Eddie in place. “Detective. _Eddie_.”

Time stands still in the moment between Barry loosening his hold on Eddie and Eddie reaching for his gun once more. Eddie’s hands shake as he presses it to Barry’s chest. Barry doesn’t bother moving; he would be able to dodge that bullet even without his speed. Eddie won’t last much longer, not like this.

“Don’t call me that,” Eddie tells him through a ragged breath, sweat beading on his forehead.

“Let me help you,” Barry offers. The color’s already drained from Eddie’s face as Barry watches a series of emotions run through it. Iris would never forgive him, and he would never forgive himself, if he let anything happen to Eddie. “Please.”

Barry sets his hand atop Eddie’s gun and Eddie’s arms buckle under the weight, but it’s clear he has no intention of lowering it. 

“Think about Iris. She wouldn’t want anything to happen to you,” Barry whispers, and Eddie’s eyes widen at the mention of her name. For a moment, Barry is almost sure he’s going to be shot. 

He knows it’s not fair to Eddie, but it’s the first thing that comes to mind, and he’s not going to last much longer himself if the blood dripping down his suit is any indication. He needs to act fast.

“I need you to stay put. Can you do that for me, detective?”

Eddie wets his lips and sets his jaw, his hand trembling around the gun. He gives out an empty laugh. “And why would I do _anything_ for you?”

Barry ignores the way Eddie’s words send a shiver crawling down his spine, chooses to press harder against Eddie’s wound when blood seeps out instead. Eddie’s shirt is painted red, dampened, and Barry tries to keep his brain from calculating the amount of blood there is because he knows it’s entirely too much.

“The police are five minutes out,” Caitlin tells him. “Is there a way out of there?”

“He doesn’t have that much time.” Barry takes a look around him, scans the place for a safe way out, without success. There’s no way he can try moving past the debris without burying themselves deeper into it, not alone. “He’s bleeding out.”

He hears Caitlin sigh, can almost hear her brain trying to come up with a solution as she asks him, “How bad is it? Can you see the wound?”

“I—I can’t—” he scrambles for words. Eddie’s fingers loosen around the gun and his head lolls back, his eyes fluttering closed. “I’m losing him.”

Barry fumbles with Eddie’s clothes as he tries to get a closer look, but he can’t stop his fingers from shaking as blood starts seeping back into Eddie’s shirt. He rips it apart along with Eddie’s undershirt when panic starts to get to him, shakes his head at the sight.

“Talk to me, Barry.”

“It’s bad,” he tells Caitlin, but he’s having a hard time speaking, much less concealing his voice. “He was punctured in the stomach. It’s a—it’s a piece of metal or something, but it broke inside him. I can’t—" Barry can't finish the thought. He takes a breath, fighting through the burn in his eyes. "It doesn’t seem to have hit any major organs.”

“Okay.” Caitlin pauses. “That’s… good. Do not, under any circumstance, try to remove it. It’s helping to seal any blood vessels that might’ve been severed and keeping him from hemorrhaging further.”

“He’s already lost a lot of blood. I—” Barry swallows around his throat, tries to keep the nausea at bay as lightheadedness overwhelms him. He takes a breath. “I’m losing him. I have to do _something_. I have to—”

Barry pulls his mask back when it becomes too hard to breathe. This isn’t about him or keeping his identity a secret any longer, this is about Eddie—and he can’t help Eddie if he’s barely holding onto himself.

“Hey, Eddie,” he says, pressing down onto the wound in Eddie’s middle with one hand while the other cups Eddie’s face, thumb smearing their combined blood onto Eddie’s cheek. “Stay with me. You’re gonna be fine, alright? Everything’s gonna be fine. I’ve got you.”

Eddie moans something, his fingers twitching, but doesn’t open his eyes, doesn’t seem to have the strength to. 

“I need you to stay with me,” he echoes, keeps on repeating the words even though Eddie isn’t listening anymore.

Caitlin’s gone silent on her end but, when she speaks again, there’s compassion in her voice, “The police are almost there. He’s gonna be fine, Barry. Hold on.”

Barry nods at her words but doesn’t respond. Maybe it’s not compassion at all; maybe it’s pity. Caitlin knows. He’s told her about how he feels—about Iris, about _Eddie _. She knows what it’s like to lose someone she loves.__

__A siren sounds in the distance and Barry allows a sliver of hope to curl in his stomach._ _

__“Okay, okay,” he whispers to himself, inching closer to Eddie’s face to feel Eddie’s breathing ghost over his cheek. He adjusts his grip on Eddie’s body. “Caitlin, I can hear them.”_ _

__“Good. That’s good.” There’s a typing sound in the background. “They’re going to have to detonate the outer wall, so you’re going to have to move him to a safe place. Can you do that?”_ _

__“I—I don’t know.”_ _

__“Is he lying down?”_ _

__Barry nods. “Yeah. Yeah.”_ _

__“Alright. Try not to bend him in the middle, just carefully lift him off the ground.”_ _

__Barry does as he’s told and moves closer to an uncollapsed wall. Eddie whimpers in pain, opens his eyes just in time to see daylight pouring in through a hole in the ruins of concrete opposite them._ _

__Joe pokes his head inside, his eyes falling upon Barry and Eddie on the ground, and heaves a relieved sigh._ _

__“Joe’s here,” Barry speaks to Caitlin. “I think we’re gonna be fine.”_ _

__There’s a smile in her voice as she says, “Good. I’m glad.”_ _

__Barry smiles to himself, knowing that today is not the day he’s going to lose someone else he loves, and puts his mask back on._ _


End file.
